TVA Mulls Time-Of-Use Energy Pricing
Power producer Tennessee Valley Authority is considering a plan to charge distribution utilities different rates for electricity depending on the time of day it's used. Similar to plans in California at Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Southern California Edison, the TVA program could result in consumers and businesses saving up to 10% or more on their electric bills by using more power during off-peak hours and less during peak usage hours.

Nashville Electric Service, one of TVA's 158 power distributors, already has 50,000 customers with "smart" meters that can track time-of-use. That represents about 14% of its customer base. The meters cost about three times that of a normal meter.

The TVA's board is still taking public comments on the proposal, and has until August to decide whether to implement a pilot program.

Worcester Hopes Kennedy, Kerry Can Lead City Out Of FOG
After 50 storm sewer overflows between 2001 and '03, the Environmental Protection Agency fined the city of Worcester, Mass., $125,000 and told it to clean up its act. Now the city is appealing to U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry for help in getting more time to implement a new FOG ordinance.

The city's public works department created the new ordinance to help control fats, oils and grease that were partly to blame for the sanitary system overflows, but so far, fewer than half of the more than 1,000 restaurants comply, according to Robert Moylan, Jr., commissioner of the department.

Restaurant owners are complaining about the burden of paying up to $10,000 or more for the required grease interceptors. They have 90 days to install proper equipment after a notice of noncompliance from public works.

Members of the city council want the two senators to help buy them more time to meet the requirements of EPA's unfunded mandate. In the meantime, Moylan suggests restaurant owners ask for an extension if they need it, but not delay getting up to code.

Illinois Lucky Thirteenth In Passing Higher Wages
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich last month signed a bill making Illinois the thirteenth state to increase its minimum wage in 2006. The new minimum, $7.50 an hour, will be one of the highest in the country. California's, which was raised to $8.00 an hour earlier this year, is the highest.

States that have enacted new minimum wages this year include Arkansas, California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia in addition to Illinois. States considering initiatives to raise the minimum wage include Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Missouri and Nevada.

Sacramento County Gives Green Card To Restaurants
Sacramento County on Jan. 1 became the first county in California to use color-coded cards to grade restaurants. From now on, stores that pass restaurant inspections will get a green placard from the county's Environmental Health Department.

Restaurants with minor infractions get a "conditional pass" and a yellow card that requires you to fix the violations and undergo a followup inspection within 24 to 72 hours.

Stores that fail get a red card in the window and are closed by the EHD until violations are fixed, and fixes are inspected. Inspection reports are available at the department's website, and also available to the public upon request at your units.

During the first week of the new system, 130 of 143 restaurants inspected got green cards and 11 received yellow warnings, six of which earned green before the week was out. Two were closed and red-carded, but both reopened with green cards by the end of the week.

Trans Fat The New Tobacco; More Laws In Works
Anti-trans fat lawmaking looks like the legislative hot button this year, overtaking smoking bans as the issue du jour. Connecticut, New Jersey and California are the latest states to propose legislation that would make it illegal for you to prepare foods in oils or shortenings containing trans fat or serve trans fat-laden food unless it's in original packaging from a processor. Connecticut's may come to a vote this spring, taking effect a year from now.

Philadelphia also has introduced an ordinance similar to the one passed in New York, and several other cities, such as Los Angeles, Cleveland and Louisville are considering proposing their own bans.

A&W Food Services of Canada is the latest company to voluntarily try to get ahead of curve. The chain announced that it has eliminated trans fat in its French fries and several other menu items and significantly reduced it in others such as onion rings and breakfast sandwiches. No word on when U.S. units will follow suit.